We are sorry to report that the forests of Virunga National Park in Eastern DRC have become ground zero for the hunt for renegade general Bosco Ntaganda and troops loyal to him. Here is the report of the situation directly from Virunga National Park – http://gorillacd.org/2012/05/09/rebel-militias-enter-mountain-gorilla-sector/ There was a coordinated patrol between Virunga National Park [...]

By Peter Knights, Executive Director of WildAid Experts in rhino conservation met last week in Nairobi convened by the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in response to a rhino poaching epidemic gripping South Africa and Zimbabwe, which reached a record high in 2011—poaching in South Africa alone leapt up 33% in [...]

If you are ever curious as to why conservation organizations like IGCP are working to collaborate with the Batwa people of the region, all you have to do is watch one of their members set a snare for wildlife with not only expert precision, but with extreme satisfaction. That’s exactly what I watched Mr. Kapere [...]

Exactly three months before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (more commonly referred to as Rio+20 because it will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), the sixth World Water Forum (6th WWF or the Forum) took place last week in Marseille, France. Held every three years since 1997, the Forum constitutes the world’s largest [...]

A woman enters the Virunga Massif with her baby tied on her back. She’s looking for a few jerricans of water to do the washing, cooking, and provide drinking water for her family. With limited choices, she enters the park, in search of a forest stream. Thousands like her do the same, especially during the [...]

In the heart of the Virunga Massif, unhabituated mountain gorillas range. Unfortunately, poachers also range there, setting traps called snares for wildlife. In early February, one of those unhabituated mountain gorillas was found dead, after what was likely several days of struggling in a rope snare. Last week, a mixed team of rangers from Virunga [...]

The objectives of this leopard project are to: A)   Calibrate the use of camera traps as viable tools to use in estimating leopard abundances in the Greater Kruger National Park Ecosystem; B)   Use lessons learned to survey the rest of the Kruger Park; C)   Investigate space use by leopards relative to lions and spotted hyaenas; [...]

We are pleased to share the news that EugËne Rutagarama, IGCP Director since 2003, will soon lead a task force that will craft a new strategy for the organization. Dr. Augustin Basabose, currently Species Conservation Coordinator, will assist by taking on day-to-day management of IGCP as Interim Director effective April 1, 2012. 2011 marked the [...]

Like many of my peers at the George Washington University, I was dedicated to the idea of studying abroad during my junior year. Hungry for a challenge, I decided to stray from the pack and avoid Europe altogether. Looking back, it’s hard to pinpoint the catalyst, but when it came time to apply there was [...]

During summer 2011, AWF Intern Becky Walter spent time in our Kazungula Heartland to photograph and blog about AWF’s projects, wildlife, and habitats there. AWF followed up with Becky last fall to get her insights on her travel. Q: What was the goal of your internship? A: I’m currently a senior at Ursinis College. I [...]